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Thursday, July 16, 2015

Rick Perry on the cost of an effective criminal defense

How much does it cost to effectively defend oneself against felony charges? According to Rick Perry, upwards of two million dollars, or several thousand times what most Texas counties pay for representation of indigents in non-capital cases.

Perry didn't make that assessment in a speech, of course. But actions speak louder than words and according to his Contributions and Expenditures reports, estimated the Dallas News, he's spent more than $2.1 million on legal fees so far defending himself against charges of abuse of official capacity, no doubt with more to come

9 comments:

To keep Rick Perry in office as long as the voters did sure says a lot about the mentality of the citizens in the State of Texas, or at least their conception and complacency with the rampant cronyism and corruption within its political ranks.

This is sidenote to a comment I wrote on the May, 27th Grit's post "Tweaking Texas' junk science habeas writ ...) I'll copy paste it here.

"... A side note on something that sticks in my craw (yes, I have a craw AND chipmunk pouches to store nuts when I read comments): I'm amazed how much money and as well as enormous government and even worldwide resources the State can throw into a case yet the defendant has to pay out of his pocket. That isn't talked about much. I know, I know, public defenders for indigent defenders fixes this. Bah! How can that possibly mirror the scales of justice? Fighting to use junk science, fighting to stop DNA testing, hiding evidence...Bah again!

Unlevel playing field? Last minute notices of execution dates? Making the defendant use some kind of dowsing rod to receive vibrations of the possible existence of evidence that is suitable for DNA testing and then the State fighting tooth and nail to keep it from them? When the defendant wins a case does the State reimburse the defendant? Gee, I wonder why poor people go to prison so much more than rich people. Innocent until proven guilty is just a misty mantra repeated ad nauseum.

What would happen if the government had to pay for the defendant's' legal costs and give free access to the same resources? Level the field. Remember the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and the State should pay equally to protect potentially innocent civilians. Would false incarceration rates drop? Would innocents forced into strangle hold plea bargains vanish? ..."

Tiapa - I agree 100 % If the state were forced to allow the defendant the same resources as them with an outside oversight committee to keep them honest there would be a lot less people in our prisons. Geo and CCA would go out of business and that is a good thing for America.

We have long allowed our prosecutors leeway when holding people accountable, they have consistently abused that privilege. Abusive prosecutors like Sebesta, and Siegler and others should all be in prison and may be soon if things happen the way they should.

Yup, upper-90s percentile of folks going to court PLEAD OUT, to keep the lawyers/liars/judges rich, fat, happy & looking busy while railroading. We The Poor People are NOT REPRESENTED, not just in taxation, anymore, but at every crooked facet of each level.The "good" lawyers do nothing, like all silent majorities, thus allowing evil to flourish, Edmund. And the Republic fell. Now which is richest, the Hillary of Babylon, or JEBush? Of course the latter's cabal & PACs far outweighs the foreign backers she has. "What different, at this point, does it MAKE?!!" she shrieked. "Representatives In Name Only" (RINOs) allowed this, and see Congressjacks' bribes, at Maplight.org.

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